Green fava beans

Green Fava Beans

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: easy
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Green fava beans also known as Broad beans, or bell beans or whatever they are called I call them delicious and healthy food..

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Eggplant and Bell pepper dip

Eggplant and Bell pepper dip

  • Servings: 4-6
  • Difficulty: easy
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I had to clean up my produce drawer and use up some of the vegetable that were in there…I had two eggplants and colorful bell peppers. I also had poblano and anaheim pepper that I had to use before they expire…

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Rice treats

Rice Treats

  • Servings: 12
  • Difficulty: easy
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My granddaughter texted me few days ago and asked me if I could make her some Rice treats and of course I had to deliver….I am madly in love with her, very smart, intelligent and beautiful inside out…And I do love making treats for my kids and grandkids…

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Banana chips cookies

Banana chips cookies

  • Servings: 10
  • Difficulty: easy
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Today I realized that I have saved a lot of banana chips from the so called tropical mix nuts and tropical fruit bags that we buy from the health store, every time I buy a bag I realize more and more that they are just full of banana chips and hardly any mixed nuts or any tropical fruits…

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Grilled Vegetables

Grilled Vegetables

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: easy
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These panini press you have hiding in your kitchen cabinets are not just for making a panini sandwiches, they are an amazing tool to use as a grill, last night I used it to grill vegetables and I often use it to grill steaks or chicken.

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How to cook Spaghetti Squash

How to cook Spaghetti Squash

  • Servings: 6
  • Difficulty: easy
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Recently I became a big fan of Spaghetti squash, its a healthy alternative to regular pasta.

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Beef Stir Fry Noodles

Beef Stir Fry Noodles

  • Servings: 2-4
  • Difficulty: easy
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Yesterday we went to the Asian market on the way home after work, I bought few items to use in a new recipes I wanted to try.

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So tonight was a Chinese food night, but we did not order take out because I wanted to use some of the sauces I bought in my own homemade recipes!

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The beef stir-fry turned out delicious, the flavor of the sauce mixed with the vegetable and the meat was amazing.

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I paired it with delicious Chinese barbecue chicken, it was easy to make and it only took 40-45 minutes to get both dishes on the table, the same amount of time to get in the car and drive to pickup take out!

The stir fry dish could be made in to an absolutely delicious vegan dish by following the recipe,and substituting the beef with firm tofu.

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Stir-fry

.1 Lb. thin sirloin strips

.1 bag stir fry vegetable mix 9 oz.

.1 bag of frozen stir fry mixed bell pepper and onion 16 oz.

.3 cups button mushrooms

.1 jar stir fry sauce 11.4 oz.

.1 tbsp. cornstarch

.3 tbsp. vegetable oil

.1/2 can water chestnuts (freeze the other half-in zip top bag)

.1 bag fresh Chinese noodles 9.87 oz.

.1/2 cup water

.2 tbsp. grated fresh ginger

.2 tbsp. dry slivered garlic

.1 tsp. sesame oil

.1 tbsp. soy sauce

.2 tbsp. toasted sesame (optional)

Chinese barbecue chicken

.4 large chicken thighs bone in

.4-5 tbsp. Chinese barbecue sauce

.1/2 cup of water

Preheat oven 420

Add chicken to baking sheet and brush on the barbecue sauce; add the water to the bottom of the baking pan around the chicken, bake for 45 minutes with continues brushing by dipping the brush in the sauce, in the baking pan, about 4 times.

In a medium bowl, mix cornstarch and 3 tbsp. of the stir-fry sauce, add the beef and with clean hands mix until the beef well covered.

In a large sauté pan or wok on high heat, add vegetable oil and sauté the beef in single layer, 1 minute on each side, remove, and set aside.

To the same pan / wok, add the bell pepper and onion mix, sauté until all the water evaporated.

Add the stir-fry mixed vegetable, whole button mushrooms and sauté for few minutes until all fork tender.

Add water chestnuts, cooked beef, and stir until all combined.

Add sesame oil, grated fresh ginger, dry slivered garlic, soy sauce, and the remaining stir-fry sauce, mix well.

Add fresh noodles, with a tong stir the noodles in to the vegetable and the sauce mixture, add water, and cook until noodles heated through.

Add toasted sesame if you like, and serve family style. Enjoy!

Corn-Bell Pepper Relish

Corn-Bell Pepper Relish

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: easy
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I had a leftover assorted bell pepper from the other day when I made a vegetable pizza and I wanted to use them before they expire, and I had a big bag of frozen corn, I normally buy big bags of frozen vegetables, it is cheaper that way!
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I had to come up with a quick side dish that will not take a long time to prepare, and a healthy one at the same time.IMG_5201

This dish turned out awesome, it was delicious and healthy as a side dish to any meal, and tonight I paired it with frozen readymade chicken patties, from the freezer to the oven, cannot get simpler than that…Just keeping it real here!

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Tonight I did not feel like cooking an entire meal, because I wanted to test a chocolate cake recipe I wrote the other day, and I did not want to be in the kitchen all night long after a busy day at the office…

I promise to post the cake recipe if it comes out the way I invasion it. 

.3 cups frozen corn

.1 cup chopped green bell pepper

.1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper

.1/2 cup chopped yellow bell pepper

.1 tbsp butter

.3 tbsp olive oil

.1/2 tbsp salt

.1/4 tbsp black pepper

.1/4 cup whipping cream

.2 medium shallots chopped

.1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

.1 tsp grated fresh ginger

.1 tsp lemon zest

In a large skillet over high heat, add olive oil and butter, add chopped shallots and the mixture of bell pepper, sauté for 2-3 minutes or until slightly brown.

Add salt, black pepper, crushed red pepper, grated ginger, lemon zest and mix well.

Add corn and cook for 2 -3 minutes just to heat it through, add the whipping cream and cook for 1 minute or until slightly thickened.

This recipe could be completely transformed in to vegan dish, by replacing the butter with coconut oil and the whipping cream with coconut milk, its equally delicious. Enjoy!

Corn-Asparagus Salad

Corn-Asparagus Salad

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: easy
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I could never keep Asparagus long enough in my refrigerator to cook them, I always buy it and forget about it until the following weekend when I clean my drawers and say ohhhh there they are!!

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So this time I made sure to keep them visible so they would be in my face every time I open the door of the refrigerator.

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Also had a bag of frozen corn in the freezer I needed to start using, and had mixed colors of bell peppers and these also have a short shelf life.

So I roasted the bell peppers and added them to the corn and asparagus and this salad was born.

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I paired it as a side dish with my easy to prepare chicken kebab and baba ghanoush.

Salad

.2-3 lb. asparagus chopped to 2 inches

.3-4 cups frozen corn

.2 roasted yellow peppers

.4 tbsp. olive oil

.2 medium shallots chopped

.1 tsp. paprika

.1 tsp. chili powder

.1/2 tsp. salt

Dressing

.2 tbsp. olive oil

.1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

.1 clove garlic, minced

.1 tbsp. chopped flat leaves parsley

.1 tbsp. fresh chopped thyme

.1/2 tsp salt

.1/2 tsp. pepper

.1 tbsp. lemon zest

Preheat oven broil on high.

Line up baking sheet with thick layer of aluminum foil, spray with non-stick vegetable spray.

Wash and dry bell pepper and place on the baking sheet, broil for 10 minutes or until all side blistered making sure to turn it every few minutes.

Remove and set aside to cool.

On medium high heat, in a large sauté pan, heat olive oil add chopped shallots, add salt and sauté for few minutes or until light golden.

Add chopped asparagus and cook for 3-5 minutes, mix in paprika and chili powder… In the main time peel, deseed and chop the bell peppers.

Add to the pan and mix with the asparagus.

Add corn mix and cover to cook for 4 minutes.

Make the dressing

In a measuring cup add olive oil, minced garlic, lemon juice, chopped parsley, chopped thyme, salt, pepper, and lemon zest, and whisk well.

Turn off the heat, add the dressing to the pan, mix well, cover and let it stand for 5 minutes for the flavor to incorporate… Enjoy!